As Iraq is pushed closer to chaos by IS/ISIS forces, there is concern that Afghanistan – the other country invaded as a result of the policies undertaken after 9/11 – will follow, as troops from the NATO derivative ISAF, will be pulled out later this year. However before the Afghans can look at the scheduled pull … Read More
Shia
Iraq, ISIS and the Sunni-Shia Split
Iraq, three years after the withdrawal of Western Coalition forces is falling apart. Is it a straightforward result of Western intervention or is there more? Lets consider the wider context of Iraq, ISIS and the Sunni- Shia Split. As the ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) juggernaut gathers pace, it seems that the Iraq … Read More
Marsh Arabs
The oil rich area of Southern Iraq is normally associated with arid desert. But a short drive from the bare infertile plains, which contain the huge oils fields, lies an incredible wetland ecosystem called the Iraqi Marshes. The area, supplied by its water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was originally 20,000 km2, but under … Read More